
Tuna in Coconut Milk
Last year we had the extreme pleasure of visiting the island of Bora Bora in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Because it’s part of French Polynesia, many islanders and hotel staff spoke French. It was fun for me to speak French, albeit limited French.
What was especially fun was eating meals there. Needless to say, the seafood was incredible. I think I ate my weight in most all varieties, experiencing for the first time spiny lobster – cooked over fire.
Randomly, I learned that I could have a cooking class with one of the chefs from the resort, and I jumped on that plan. The chef’s name was Cyndie, from Lyons, France. She had actually cooked with Paul Bocuse! Her plan was for me to learn a local dish called Tuna in Coconut Milk.
I had no idea she planned for us to start with a whole coconut, but of course she did! It’s Bora Bora! The following photos show Chef Cyndie and a coconut which we grated on an ancient coconut grater. It took some getting used to but eventually I got into the rhythm. We collected the coconut meat then squeezed it in a cloth to remove the milk, which was so naturally sweet and delicious.
Chef Cyndie then showed me how to put together the dish, which consisted of chopped raw tuna, lime juice, coconut milk, and then some julienned fresh vegetables. Th mixture was placed in a coconut half for a beautiful presentation. A presentation way better than mine!
I enjoyed the dish with a chilled white, and what an island experience it was. I was also gifted a cookbook. Here’s the recipe from Bora Bora Kitchen, called Poisson Cru, which is “The typical Tahitian dish!”
After getting home, of course I had to make this. Fortunately I was able to open the coconut without cutting off my arm.
Poison Cru
Raw Tuna with Coconut Milk
Serves 2
1 pound bluefin tuna
Juice of 2 limes
Salt, about 1 teaspoon
1 carrot
1/4 cucumber
2 tomatoes (I used a red bell pepper)
1/2 red onion
1 1/2 cups coconut milk
Cilantro leaves
Dice the tuna in relatively small squares (cubes). Season with lime juice, salt and pepper. I got the AHI TUNA SAKU BLOCK from Wild Fork Foods, a fabulous resource of just about anything. Because the block was refrigerated a few days before using, the color faded a bit, but it was still delicious.
Peel and grate the carrot. Peel and cut cucumber in thin slices after removing seeds. (I julienned the carrot and cucumber.) Slice up the red bell pepper and red onion thinly.
Mix the vegetables with the tuna and add the coconut milk.
Serve in a halved coconut, or bowl, and top with cilantro leaves.
Tama’a Maitai!
What a fun and exotic experience!
I know! We’re so lucky we get to travel now.
What a delicious and unique recipe. We poach fish all the time in coconut milk but have never tried it this way sashimi style.
It was so so good.
this sounds delicous
It was definitely delicious!
Sounds fantastic!
It really was!
This looks fantastic Mimi, a great presentation. I am not a big fan of dried coconut but I like the fresh ones.
Fresh is definitely best!
this sounds very flavourful Mimi. i have fond memories of my dad breaking up fresh coconuts when we were kids. Yep even in freezing cold Melbourne, we had fresh coconuts in the shops. I do love a ceviche-style dish!
Oh that sounds wonderful!
Great looking presentation!
Thanks, Charlie!
Looks amazing, Mimi. Having fresh seafood in Bora Bora sounds like a dream. And the taste of coconut milk from coconuts fresh from the tree must have been delicious. I would have eaten the bowl, too… :-)
Thanks Frank. It was a wonderful experience.
that does look good!
I need to make it again. It’s a 5 minute recipe!
I love your whimsical and beautiful presentation – and I bet it tastes great!
Thank you! Chefs are so skilled.
What a great experience and a lovely recipe! Good job on opening a coconut by yourself — I have tried that once and failed miserably. Apart from fearing another coconut failure I’m hesitant to try to make this here, as simple dishes like this require top quality ingredients to make them really work. I’ll have to remember to prepare this next time I am in a tropical destination like Costa Rica.
Well I lost all of the coconut water, so I didn’t do it “right,” but I kept all of my fingers!
Fabulous!! I can imagine how fresh the seafood was in Bora Bora and recreating the dish at home-a fun experience. I love coconut milk too. I think coconut milk adds an extra something special to dishes.
It definitely does! Like Thai dishes!
You just added Bora Bora on my list 😄!!!
Yay!!!!
What a fantastic recipe idea. Looks fabulous!
Thanks so much!
Looks fabulous, plus I’ve also wanted to crack open a coconut to extract the juice, but have been reluctant to do so! Thanks for the link to Wild Fork Foods!
It is kind of scary!!!
I had something like this in Vegas many years ago. They referred to it as a ceviche but it was in Coconut milk which made it luxuriously creamy and sweet. I made it when we returned but it wasn’t the same. I will have to try your recipe to see if it is similar to what I remember.
Definitely the tuna isn’t “cooked” in the lime juice; it’s just for the flavor.
Wow, what an amazing experience cooking with a French chef in Bora Bora and starting with a whole fresh coconut sounds like a dream!
Exactly! It was a fabulous experience!